


Double Take

by lost_spook



Series: Happy Endings, Hasty Exits [2]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Serial: 083 The Android Invasion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-14
Updated: 2011-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-20 10:19:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/pseuds/lost_spook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>The Android Invasion</i> - Sarah Jane: "I want to stay on earth and marry Harry!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Double Take

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said the Doctor. “Marry Harry? _Our_ Harry?”

Sarah nodded and took hold of Harry Sullivan’s hand. He had rather a bemused expression on his face, but he said nothing.

“I mean, that’s just being silly,” the Doctor continued, still outraged. “ _Nobody’d_ want to marry Harry!”

Harry raised an eyebrow. He was used to insults from the Doctor, but that was going a bit far. “Apparently Sarah does,” he put in.

“Quiet, Harry. Now, I know a nice little planet in Cassiopeia…”

Sarah stared back at him. “Doctor, didn’t you hear what I said?”

“Obviously, but I’ve got to make some attempt to bring you back to your senses. You didn’t get a knock to the head when we landed, did you?”

*

Once the Doctor had eventually flung his scarf over his shoulder, slammed his hat on his head and stormed off in the biggest see-if-I-care sulk Harry had yet seen, Sarah sagged down into the nearest chair and put her head in her hands.

“Now,” he said, once they’d heard the sound of the TARDIS safely dematerialising, “what is this about, old girl? I mean, I wasn’t going to let you down in front of the Doctor and I know it’s been a confusing day, but I’m sure I’d remember proposing.”

She huddled into the chair. “Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes he’s _impossible_! Well, you know what he’s like.”

“Yes,” he agreed, having been forcibly reminded by that last little round of insults. “Still, that’s no call to go round saying you’ll marry me.”

Sarah sniffed. “I mean, I can’t spend the whole of my life trailing around the universe after him, never knowing where I am or what’s going on and telling him how wonderful he is. I’ve got a life of my own – or I thought I had before I met him.”

“Of course you have,” he said encouragingly. “Coming down to earth’ll be a bit of a shock, though.”

She swallowed. “I know.”

He wasn’t sure he was doing too well on the cheering-her-up front or what was required, or what he was supposed to make (if anything) of her excuse for leaving, but there were some things that didn’t change. “How about dinner, old thing?”

“Don’t call me that,” she said half-heartedly. “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty?”

He smiled. “Not since about ten minutes ago. And from what I remember about life aboard the TARDIS, regular meals weren’t exactly a feature.”

“True,” she agreed and smiled at him properly. She sat up. “Now that you mention it, I’m starving.”

He pulled her back to her feet. “In that case, let’s feed you first and worry about everything else after.”

“Harry,” she said, grinning back at him and tapping his chest lightly, “I think that sounds like a plan. I hope you’ve got some money, because I haven’t been near a bank in weeks.”

He opened the door for her. “Of course. Least I can do for my new fiancée.”

*

After they’d had their meal and Harry escorted her home, he stopped outside her house, deciding that he really had to tackle the red letter question right here and now. “Sarah, don’t think I’m not flattered, but you can’t start telling people that you’re going to marry me. You could have just said you wanted to go home.”

“I suppose,” she admitted. She glanced away, biting her lip.

He was still waiting for her to laugh it off in some way. He didn’t dare ask her why she’d said it. Doubtless, she’d only thought that clumsy, wooden-top Harry would think the whole thing as amusing as she did… And she _still_ wasn’t laughing. “Sarah? What if someone else had heard you?”

“It’s not completely out of the question, is it?” she asked eventually, quietly enough so that he doubted what he’d heard. “I don’t mean to sound big-headed, but I did think -.”

He could have sworn the world span the wrong way around, the stars under him and the paved pathway over his head, but when he looked, everything was as it had been. “No,” he managed, realising that he was keeping her waiting for an answer. “I mean, yes. I think.”

Sarah looked up at him directly now. “Only I saw someone who wasn’t you today. And I wanted the real you back around. All right?”

“Oh, that’s all right,” he said fervently, although he did consider that she might be delirious, since she wasn’t completely making sense, but she seemed lucid enough. “Quite all right. I’m happy to have the real you around, too.”

She sighed. “Well, you could show it.”

“I could?” he echoed in momentary puzzlement and then caught her meaning and obliged.

*

Afterwards, he said goodbye and turned to go and then wondered why she was laughing helplessly at him.

She moved back to him and took his arm firmly. “I think I’d better see you back to the taxi,” she told him. “The gate’s _that_ way.”

“So it is,” he said, with a blush, but he had no objection to keeping her close for a little bit longer.

It hadn’t been the best of days, but it was turning out to be a wonderful evening.

***


End file.
